Ratjack
Welcome to the Ratcity Casino! Here, rats, weasels and rodents of all kinds gather to play Ratjack. Paws are sweaty, whiskers are quivering, the cards are dealt... it's your turn to play.
Each deck in Ratjack has 12 cards with values from 1 to 12 each with a special ability. A central draw pile is created by picking and shuffling together 2 decks. Players start with a card face-down in front of them and a single card in hand.
Each deck in Ratjack has 12 cards with values from 1 to 12 each with a special ability. A central draw pile is created by picking and shuffling together 2 decks. Players start with a card face-down in front of them and a single card in hand.
- Place a card face-down in front of them
- Play a card face-up in front of them and activate its ability
- Discard a card to flip over one of their face-down cards and activate its ability
At any point in the game, a player with more than 25 in value in front of them is taken out. Card abilities are interactive effects which allow to manipulate cards and their value.
Players win victory points by taking out their opponents, be the last player standing and exactly reach 25!
Number of players: 2 - 4
Game duration: 22 mn
Complexity: 2 / 5
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Play Ratjack and 960 other games online.
No download necessary - play directly from your web browser.
With your friends and thousands of players from the whole world.
Free.
Rules summary
Overview
Play cards to manipulate your own and your opponents' displays, but be careful not to exceed 25 in card and token values.
Turn
First, draw a card, either from the deck, or the top card of the (face up) discard pile.
Then either play a card or discard a card from your hand.
If you play a card, it can either be played face up or face down.
If you want to play a card face up, you have to be able to fully resolve it, otherwise it cannot be played this way.
If you play a card face down, its effect is ignored and so is its value, but you can always check your face-down cards.
If you discard a card from your hand instead of playing it, you can flip up a face-down card, activating its ability.
If the total of your face-up cards (plus tokens on them) exceeds 25 at the end of your turn, you are eliminated.
If you play an effect which causes another player to exceed 25 in faceup cards and tokens, you eliminate them and score 1VP.
If you meet exactly 25, you end the round and score 1VP.
Round End
The round can end in a number of ways
If a player has a value of 25 in their display, they gain 1VP
If all but one player have been eliminated, the remaining player gains 1VP
If the deck is depleted, the player with the highest value below 25 gains 1VP
A new round commences with the player who most recently gained a VP
Game End
The game ends immediately when a player gains their 3rd VP, they win!
Cards in Each Deck
Red Rats and Blue Rats
- Place 1 Bonus Token on 1 of your visible cards.
- Take the top card of the discard pile and place it face down in front of you.
- Play another full turn.
- Place 1 Bonus Token on an opponent's Hidden card.
- Secretly look at 1 opponent's Hidden card.
- Flip 1 of your Hidden cards face up and trigger its effects.
- Swap 1 of your other visible card with an opponent's Visible cards without triggering their effects.
- Place 1 Bonus Token on 1 of your cards.
- Take one Bonus Token placed on an opponent's card and place it on 1 of your cards.
- Flip 1 opponent's Visible face down.
- Discard the top 2 cards from the Draw Deck.
- Flip 1 opponent's Hidden card face up without triggering its effect.
Raccoons
- Discard 1 opponent's visible card.
- Swap 1 of your Hidden cards with an opponent's Visible card without triggering its effect.
- Place the card in your hand face down in front of you and draw another card.
- Place 1 opponent's hidden card face up in front of you without triggering its effect.
- Take the first card from the Draw Deck and place it face down in front of you.
- Choose 2 of your cards and place 1 Bonus Token on each.
- Flip 1 of your Hidden cards and 1 opponent's hidden cards face up without triggering their effects.
- Place 1 Bonus Token on 1 of your cards and 1 Bonus token on an opponent's card.
- Take the top card of the Discard and place it face up in front of you without triggering its effect.
- Draw one card then discard one card.
- Place 1 Bonus Token on an opponent's card.
- Shuffle the top 3 cards of the Discard into the Draw Deck.
Weasels
- Swap the card in your hand with that of an opponent.
- Return 1 Bonus Token from a card to the Reserve.
- Draw 1 card, you may look at it secretly, then place it face down in front of an opponent.
- Place 1 Bonus Token on a Hidden card.
- Flip 1 pf your card, Visible or Hidden, to its other side without triggering the effect.
- Take 1 Opponent's Visible card and place it face up in front of you without triggering the effect.
- Swap 1 Bonus Token on 1 of your cards with 1 from the Reserve.
- Swap 2 Bonus Tokens on 2 cards.
- Discard the top 3 cards from the Draw Deck.
- Return 1 Bonus Token on 1 of your card to the Reserve.
- Discard one of your Hidden cards.
- Give one Bonus Token from the Reserve or placed on a card to an opponent to place on 1 of their cards.